Petra Andries

Linking science to technology: Using bibliographic references in patents to build linkage schemes

In this paper, we develop and discuss a method to design a linkage scheme that links the systems of science and technology through the use of patent citation data. After conceptually embedding the linkage scheme in the current literature on science-technology interactions and associations, the methodology and algorithms used to develop the linkage scheme are discussed in detail. The method is subsequently tested on and applied to subsets of USPTO patents. The results point to highly skewed citation distributions, enabling us to discern between those fields of technology that are highly science-interactive and those fields where technology development is highly independent from the scientific literature base.

Policies to Stimulate Regional Innovation Capabilities via University-Industry Collaboration: An Analysis and an Assessment

In this paper, we demonstrate how regional economic policies to stimulate entrepreneurship and innovation, can lead to successes. More specifically, through a detailed theoretical and empirical analysis, we discuss the critical ingredients that can lead to regional innovation and economic success. These critical ingredients consist of a balanced mix based on the presence of research institutes, a texture of endogenous knowledge-intensive start-ups coupled to larger R&D-intensive incumbents, all of them embedded in a professional environment that supports business advice and services. We illustrate the effects of this mix using empirical material from various innovative regions around the world.

Business Model Innovation: Propositions on the Appropriateness of Different Learning Approaches

Firms are often faced with market and technological uncertainty when trying to renew their business model. The literature suggests that under uncertainty, firms can either develop new business models through commitment, incremental experimentation, or radical experimentation. Experience effects, complexity, and ambiguity influence the appropriateness of these learning approaches. However, no overarching view exists on whether and how these factors interact. Based on a simulation model, we develop propositions regarding the combined influences of complexity, ambiguity, and experience effects on the performance of these learning approaches. We also find that the firms time perspective matters. The results allow us to refine existing theoretical logic and to delineate the specific conditions under which certain learning approaches outperform others. Furthermore, they provide an explanation as to why investors generally prefer committed businesses. We propose, however, that such commitment is not optimal in the long run and that, in general, firms should consider changing their learning approach over time in order to successfully renew their business model.

Disentangling value‐enhancing and cost‐increasing effects of knowledge management

Purpose – The main purpose of this paper is to provide large‐scale empirical evidence on the value‐enhancing and cost‐increasing effects of knowledge management (KM) techniques.Design/methodology/approach – The authors conduct structural equation analyses, using data from the Community Innovation Survey 2007 and from annual accounts of 705 innovative Belgian firms.Findings – Results confirm that the use of KM techniques has an indirect positive impact on financial performance via increased innovation performance. In addition, a direct cost‐increasing effect of KM practices on financial performance is observed. In the short term, this direct cost‐increasing effect exceeds the indirect value‐generating effect of KM techniques.Research limitations/implications – This study investigates the short‐term effects of KM techniques. Future research should study the long‐term costs and benefits. Data were collected in Belgium and may not reflect the impact of KM practices in other geographic, economic or cultural se...

Staging Innovation Projects: (When) Does it Pay Off?

Building on real options literature, this study shows that the use of a staged approach for the management of innovation projects affects the innovation output of firms differently depending on firm characteristics and ambitions. In particular, while staged project management increases the effect of inno- vation expenditures on new product sales for firms envisaging incremental or continuous innovations, this moderating effect is absent for firms aspiring radical innovations. In addition, while staged project management has a pos- itive moderating effect in firms with resource slack, this is not the case when firms are resource-constrained. We further investigate the underlying mecha- nisms to this latter finding by demonstrating that in resource-abundant firms staged project organization is associated with delaying projects until more information becomes available. Thereby these firms reap the waiting value inherent to real options reasoning. By contrast, resource-constrained firms using staged project management are shown to abandon a larger share of their innovation projects and to concentrate resources on fewer projects. It appears, however, that, due to budgetary pressure, they make the decision to abandon at a too early stage where uncertainty is insufficiently resolved. This can explain why there is no effect of staged project management on the sales of resource-constrained firms from new products. The paper contributes to theory development on when and why the staging of innovation projects affects the innovation output of firms and to the literature on real options reasoning in general.

Simultaneous Experimentation as an Entrepreneurial Strategy for Emergent Markets: Transcending the Trade-Off between Flexibility and Funding?

The unpredictable nature of emergent markets implies that ventures entering such markets are confronted with technological and commercial uncertainty. Defining a viable business model under such circumstances is a complex and precarious endeavour. Previous research has either advanced the idea of focus – in order to attract resources and realize first mover advantages – or sequential experimentation financed through bootstrapping, implying limited resources during initial phases of the venture. As such, a trade-off between flexibility and resource acquisition has been introduced. Within this contribution we explore how ventures starting up in emergent industries can balance the attainment of financial resources with flexibility and business model adaptation. Based on a sequence analysis of six case studies, we identify two distinctive approaches to business development in emergent industries: Focused commitment versus simultaneous experimentation. Our findings reveal that focused commitment is instrumental foracquiring resources but at the same time impedes flexibility, while simultaneous experimentation allows to attract resources while maintaining manoeuvring space for business model adaptation. An analytical comparison of both approaches suggests that simultaneous experimentation is indeed a more viable strategy when entering emergent industries.